Plants July 3, 2006
A rose
People can be especially 
nice sometimes. In May Dave talked with an insurance saleswoman a couple of times. She called back to learn that my dad had died. She expressed her condolences. Said she’d call back again in a couple months.
Nothing unusual there so far.
She called back. Wanted our address so she could send a card. That’s nice.
When we were gone our next door neighbor, Bob, collected our mail and fed the cat. He piled the mail on our kitchen table. When we got home we found a tall square box on the table with the mail. It’d arrived two days before we returned. Caution: contents alive. Gads. Opened up the box. It’s a miniature rose bush! Who sent it? Why the insurance lady did. Gosh.
It’s a lovely little bush, that in spite of being cooped up in a box in the sun for a couple extra days, seems none the worse for wear. In fact, it’s growing. And it’s blooming. See those two charming little blossoms? The smaller of the two is barely over an inch across, while the larger one doesn’t quite make it to one-and-a-half inches. The whole plant, in its pot, is less than eleven inches tall, and about that wide. Isn’t it darling? I hope I can keep it alive. I need to put it in a larger pot. That will help. 
It’s precious!
Jade
A couple of years ago our next door neighbor was pruning her jade-plant hedge. Yes, hedge. This jade plant has tiny little leaves, about one-quarter to one-half an inch across. I asked, so she nicely gave me one of the branches that she’d hacked off. I set it out in the sun to “cure” for a while, then planted it in a pot on my deck. It’s one of the few plants to have survived the house-painting episode last year. And it seems to be doing just fine. In fact, it bloomed. An amazing thing. Tiny pink flowers all over it. I looked down in the neighbor’s yard. Hers isn’t blooming. Hm. Well, I must be doing something right.
Karen July 3
What a lovely gesture from the insurance lady, and what a pretty little rose! It needs at least 4-6 hours of sunshine a day, don’t let it dry out, and it should bloom beautifully for you.
Debi July 3
Both plants are very pretty. That was very nice of the insurance lady. It sure looks like you’re doing something right since they are both thriving.
Senorita Stitches July 4
You have a green thumb, don’t you?!
My mom is like that. She can grow anything. The few little plants I have are hanging on for dear life.
patternnuts July 4
Beautiful plants! I am green with envy giggle)
and the rose is such a nice way too…… Very nice.
Jenna July 7
Beautiful plants, both of them! I bet the jade plant likes to be a little stressed in order to bloom? And that was very thoughtful of your insurance person to send the miniature rosh bush. I partially killed the one that my dad gave me for Easter and now I think it has a disease or some nasties trying to eat it alive. Ack!